Editing Carbon compounds (section)

==Organic compounds==
{{Main|Organic compound}}
It was once thought that [[organic compound]]s could only be created by living organisms. Over time, however, scientists learned how to [[Wöhler synthesis|synthesize organic compounds in the lab]]. The number of organic compounds is immense and the known number of defined compounds is close to 10 million.<ref name=lanl>{{cite web|author=Chemistry Operations|date=December 15, 2003|url=http://periodic.lanl.gov/6.shtml|title=Carbon|publisher=Los Alamos National Laboratory|access-date=2007-11-21}}</ref> However, an indefinitely large number of such compounds is theoretically possible. 
By definition, an organic compound must contain at least one atom of carbon, but this criterion is not generally regarded as sufficient. Indeed, the distinction between organic and inorganic compounds is ultimately a matter of convention, and there are several compounds that have been classified either way, such as:
[[Phosgene|COCl<sub>2</sub>]],
[[Thiophosgene|CSCl<sub>2</sub>]],
[[Thiourea|CS(NH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>]],
[[Urea|CO(NH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>]].
With carbon bonded to metals the field of organic chemistry crosses over into [[organometallic chemistry]].

===Carbon-oxygen compounds===
There are many [[oxide]]s of carbon ([[oxocarbon]]s), of which the most common are [[carbon dioxide]] (CO<sub>2</sub>) and [[carbon monoxide]] (CO). Other less known oxides include [[carbon suboxide]] (C<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>) and [[mellitic anhydride]] (C<sub>12</sub>O<sub>9</sub>).<ref>It is an organic compound.</ref> There are also numerous unstable or elusive oxides, such as [[dicarbon monoxide]] (C<sub>2</sub>O), [[oxalic anhydride]] (C<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>), and [[carbon trioxide]] (CO<sub>3</sub>).

There are several [[oxocarbon anion]]s, negative ions that consist solely of oxygen and carbon. The most common are the [[carbonate]] (CO<sub>3</sub><sup>2−</sup>) and [[oxalate]] (C<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup>).  The corresponding acids are the highly unstable [[carbonic acid]] (H<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>) and the quite stable [[oxalic acid]] (H<sub>2</sub>C<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>), respectively.  These anions can be partially deprotonated to give the [[bicarbonate]] (HCO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>) and [[hydrogenoxalate]]  (HC<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub><sup>−</sup>).  Other more exotic carbon–oxygen anions exist, such as [[acetylenedicarboxylic acid|acetylenedicarboxylate]] (O<sub>2</sub>C–C≡C–CO<sub>2</sub><sup>2−</sup>), [[mellitic acid|mellitate]] (C<sub>12</sub>O<sub>9</sub><sup>6−</sup>), [[squaric acid|squarate]] (C<sub>4</sub>O<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup>), and [[rhodizonic acid|rhodizonate]] (C<sub>6</sub>O<sub>6</sub><sup>2−</sup>).  The [[anhydride]]s of some of these acids are oxides of carbon; carbon dioxide, for instance, can be seen as the anhydride of carbonic acid.

Some important carbonates are
[[Silver carbonate|Ag<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Barium carbonate|BaCO<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Calcium carbonate|CaCO<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Cadmium carbonate|CdCO<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Cerium(III) carbonate|Ce<sub>2</sub>(CO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Cobalt(II) carbonate|CoCO<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Caesium carbonate|Cs<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Copper(II) carbonate|CuCO<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Iron(II) carbonate|FeCO<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Potassium carbonate|K<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Lanthanum carbonate|La<sub>2</sub>(CO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Lithium carbonate|Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Magnesium carbonate|MgCO<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Manganese(II) carbonate|MnCO<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Ammonium carbonate|(NH<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Sodium carbonate|Na<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Nickel(II) carbonate|NiCO<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Lead(II) carbonate|PbCO<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Strontium carbonate|SrCO<sub>3</sub>]], and
[[Zinc carbonate|ZnCO<sub>3</sub>]].

The most important bicarbonates include 
[[Ammonium bicarbonate|NH<sub>4</sub>HCO<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Calcium bicarbonate|Ca(HCO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>]],
[[Potassium bicarbonate|KHCO<sub>3</sub>]], and
[[Sodium bicarbonate|NaHCO<sub>3</sub>]].

The most important oxalates include
[[Silver oxalate|Ag<sub>2</sub>C<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>]],
[[Barium oxalate|BaC<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>]],
[[Calcium oxalate|CaC<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>]], 
[[Cerium oxalate|Ce<sub>2</sub>(C<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>)<sub>3</sub>]],
[[Potassium oxalate|K<sub>2</sub>C<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>]], and
[[Disodium oxalate|Na<sub>2</sub>C<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>]].

[[Carbonyl]]s are coordination complexes between transition metals and [[carbonyl]] ligands. [[Metal carbonyl]]s are complexes that are formed with the neutral ligand CO. These complexes are covalent. Here is a list of some carbonyls:
[[Chromium carbonyl|Cr(CO)<sub>6</sub>]],
[[Cobalt carbonyl|Co<sub>2</sub>(CO)<sub>8</sub>]],
[[Iron pentacarbonyl|Fe(CO)<sub>5</sub>]],
[[Manganese carbonyl|Mn<sub>2</sub>(CO)<sub>10</sub>]],
[[Molybdenum carbonyl|Mo(CO)<sub>6</sub>]],
[[Nickel carbonyl|Ni(CO)<sub>4</sub>]],
[[Tungsten carbonyl|W(CO)<sub>6</sub>]].

===Carbon-sulfur compounds===
Important inorganic [[carbon]]-[[sulfur]] compounds are the carbon sulfides [[carbon disulfide]] (CS<sub>2</sub>) and [[carbonyl sulfide]] (OCS). [[Carbon monosulfide]] (CS) unlike [[carbon monoxide]] is very unstable. Important compound classes are [[thiocarbonate]]s, [[thiocarbamates]], [[dithiocarbamate]]s and [[trithiocarbonate]]s. 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
||[[File:CS-CRC-MW-dimensions-2D-Lewis.png|80px]]
||[[File:Carbon-disulfide-2D-dimensions.svg|100px]]
||[[File:Carbonyl-sulfide-2D-dimensions.png|100px]]
|-
|| [[carbon monosulfide]]
|| [[carbon disulfide]]
|| [[carbonyl sulfide]]
|-
|Colspan=100%|'''Inorganic carbon-sulfur compounds'''
|}

===Carbon-nitrogen compounds===
Small inorganic carbon–nitrogen compounds are [[cyanogen]], [[hydrogen cyanide]], [[cyanamide]], [[isocyanic acid]] and [[cyanogen chloride]].
{|align="center"  class="wikitable"
|+style="background: #ccccff;"| Inorganic carbon-nitrogen compounds
!Name!!Formula!!Structure!!|[[Molar mass]]<br>(g/mole)!![[Boiling point]]<br>°C!![[Melting point]]<br>°C
|-
|[[cyanogen]]||(CN)<sub>2</sub>||[[File:Cyanogen 200.svg|100px|Cyanogen]]||52.03||−21||−28
|-
|[[hydrogen cyanide]]||HCN||[[File:Hydrogen-cyanide-2D.svg|100px|Hydrogen-cyanide]]||27.03||25–26|| −12 to −14
|-
|[[cyanamide]] ||CN<sub>2</sub>H<sub>2</sub>||[[File:Cyanamide.svg|200px|Cyanamide]]||42.04||260 (decomp.)||44
|-
|[[isocyanic acid]]||HNCO||[[File:Isocyansäure.svg|100px|isocyanic acid]]||43.03||23.5||−86
|-
|[[cyanogen chloride]]||CNCl||[[File:Cyanogen-chloride.svg|100px|cyanogen chloride]]||61.47||13||−6
|-
|[[chlorosulfonyl isocyanate]]||CNClO<sub>3</sub>S||[[File:Chlorosulfonyl isocyanate.svg|100px|Chlorosulfonyl isocyanate]]||141.53||107||−44
|-
|[[cyanuric chloride]]||(NCCl)<sub>3</sub>||[[File:Cyanuric chloride.png|100px|cyanuric chloride]]||184.41||192|| 154
|}

[[Paracyanogen]] is the [[polymerization]] product of cyanogen. [[Cyanuric chloride]] is the trimer of cyanogen chloride and [[2-cyanoguanidine]] is the dimer of cyanamide.

Other types of inorganic compounds include the inorganic [[Salt (chemistry)|salt]]s and [[complex (chemistry)|complexes]] of the carbon-containing [[cyanide]], [[cyanate]], [[fulminate]], [[thiocyanate]] and [[cyanamide]] [[polyatomic ion|ions]]. Examples of cyanides are [[copper cyanide]] (CuCN) and [[potassium cyanide]] (KCN), examples of cyanates are [[potassium cyanate]] (KNCO) and [[silver cyanate]] (AgNCO), examples of fulminates are [[silver fulminate]] (AgOCN) and [[mercury fulminate]] (HgOCN) and an example of a thiocyanate is [[potassium thiocyanate]] (KSCN).